An Extraordinary Household
by Raberba girl
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Aqua does not appreciate her friend Zack barging in while she's baby-sitting five-year-old Xion, but it turns out to be a good thing he showed up after all. It's easier to save the world when you've got a little help. Modern fantasy AU; no slash.
1. Chapter 1

An Extraordinary Household

(rough draft)

Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Mix and Match Challenge by XxCrimsonOblivionxX, written by Raberba girl

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Aqua does not appreciate her friend Zack barging in while she's baby-sitting five-year-old Xion, but it turns out to be a good thing he showed up after all. It's easier to save the world when you've got a little help. Modern fantasy AU; no slash.

A/N: **I did not use any of the beginning sentences from the list...sorry. :/**

Chosen plot: 11.(character) is a baby sitter and decides to snoop around (his/her) employers home. What (character) finds is pretty shocking.

Chosen main characters: I. Vanitas, Xion, Zack, Aqua

**Chapter 1**

"Aqua," Saïx said, pausing on the threshold. He tilted his head a little, frowning as if something had just occurred to him. "I realize that you might have already made plans for tonight, or were busy, and that I called you on very short notice... Thank you for coming."

"It's fine, Mr. Tsukino," Aqua assured him. "I was just going to stay in tonight and work on homework, anyway, so it's not really any trouble."

"Do you hear that, Xion?" Saïx said sternly to the five-year-old girl fidgeting nearby. "Aqua is not here to play. Amuse yourself until bedtime, obey her without arguing, and don't cause trouble."

"I won't, Daddy," Xion sighed.

"We can play a _little_ bit," Aqua said, putting an arm around her. "You can help me study for my test tomorrow, and then I'll do the rest after you go to bed, okay?"

"Okay."

"Don't let any strangers in," Saïx warned Aqua.

"I won't," she said dutifully.

"Listen. This isn't simply one of the usual safety guidelines when baby-sitting; I am _quite_ serious. Even if they act as if they will force their way in, _do not_ give them permission, and _do not_ tell them any names - not Xion's or your own or ours, _no one's_. Do you understand me? This is very important."

Aqua stared at him. She always tried to be careful and responsible, just as a matter of principle, but this wasn't the first time Saïx (or Axel, for that matter) had made weird rules or warned her about the kids' weird allergies or put unusual emphasis on things that Aqua either took for granted or never even thought would be important. "Do you...think that someone might try to break in?"

"_No_," Saïx said sharply. "The trouble lies elsewhere - that's what I'm going to take care of. I'm simply saying that _in the event of an unexpected emergency_ - absolutely no names, and absolutely no permission. I am expecting you to stand your ground and keep this child safe." It was a little strange how he never referred to Xion (or Roxas) as his own children, even though they both called him their father. They called Axel their father, too, but the two men had different surnames, and Aqua knew for a fact that Axel occasionally went on dates that didn't involve Saïx. She had never been able to figure out this household's specific dynamics, and had never felt comfortable enough to ask.

"Yes, sir," Aqua said solemnly, squeezing Xion a little tighter. Something prompted her to say, "You - come home safely, too, all right? You and Mr. Hayes and Roxas. Xion would be so sad if anything ever happened to any of you."

"Yeah," said Xion.

Saïx gave one of his very rare smiles, small but still recognizable. "Axel and I can handle it, as long as we know that the children are safe. It's one less distraction to know that we've left Xion in your charge."

"I'm honored to have your trust, sir." Aqua always naturally felt more formal and alert around Saïx, as if she was speaking to a professor or a boss, whereas she was more careless and familiar with Axel. Their styles and demeanors were so very different, yet they seemed to get along so well... _'Next time I see Axel,'_ she thought, _'I'll ask him how their family works. I'm getting too curious.'_

After Saïx left, Aqua and Xion looked at each other. "Ready to help me ace my test?"

"Yup!"

Since Xion was still just a beginner at reading, and couldn't pronounce most of the words on Aqua's flash cards, she honestly wasn't much help, but the two girls enjoyed spending time together, anyway. Aqua soon ended the study session and then played with Xion for a little while before going to start dinner. Xion was a vegetarian and had a hard time with leftovers or cooked food - even though Aqua didn't have to cook or warm up anything, there was still a lot of cutting and chopping to do.

"Mmm, peaches," Xion said, stealing a piece from the plate Aqua was trying to prepare.

Aqua chuckled. "Almost done, love."

Her cell phone rang almost as soon as she'd finished. "Ugh, Zack," Aqua muttered upon seeing the caller ID. "I _told_ you I'm busy tonight..." They were childhood friends, though lately, Zack seemed to be under the impression that he was in love with her. Which Aqua was pretty sure wasn't true, since the one who turned Zack into a doofy blushing sap was their mutual friend Aeris at school. Unfortunately, until he figured out his own feelings, Aqua had to keep putting up with his antics.

After a moment of hesitation, she answered the call, against her better judgment. "What do you want?"

_"Aqua~!"_

"I'm _baby-sitting_, Zack."

_"I know! I'm outside the house."_

"What?!"

_"Let me in! I wanna show you something."_

"Zack!"

"Zack?" Xion said with interest. She and her family had met Zack several times before, and she had taken a liking to him. "I wanna see Zack!"

Aqua went over to the living room window at the front of the house, saying into her phone as she did so, "I'm not even supposed to let anyone inside, anyway."

_"Aww, Aqua."_

"Daddy said don't let in _strangers_," Xion said craftily, following her. "Zack's not a stranger! Me and you and Roxas and Dad and Daddy know him."

_"_Xion_ wants me,"_ Zack said persuasively. _"Maybe my best friend and the love of my life hates me, but _Xion_ has better taste."_

Aqua frowned at him as he gave her Puppy Eyes through the window. "Zack, you can't just barge in when their parents aren't home."

_"I won't do anything bad, I promise!"_

Xion opened the door before Aqua could stop her. "Hi, Zack!"

"Hi, princess!" Zack squealed, hugging her. "At least _you're_ nicer than Master Aqua here."

Xion giggled. "Aqua follows all the rules like Daddy, but it's okay, you can come in because we know you're not bad."

"Xion," Aqua said in exasperation. She looked around apprehensively, wondering, not for the first time, if the house had hidden cameras installed or something.

"Look at the stable we made for my ponies!" Xion said eagerly, tugging Zack over to show him.

"Oooohh, cool!"

"All right, you've seen the ponies. Now get out," Aqua said.

"No, wait, Aqua, you gotta see this!"

Zack pulled up a video on his phone and angled it so both the girls could see. "You're on a stage!" Xion exclaimed in delight.

"That's my band, Xion! My brothers and I got a gig at Costa del Sol. Demyx is the guy here singing, with the guitar; Gippal's back there on drums, and this one's me, see? I do bass guitar and background vocals. And that's our cousin Baralai on the piano."

"Coooool!" Xion said breathlessly.

"Zack, this could have definitely waited until tomorrow," Aqua said firmly.

"Aqua! It's Costa del Sol! _Costa del Sooool_!"

"LEAVE, ZACK."

"Meanie."

Being Zack, of course he didn't leave. He showed Xion more videos and pictures of his band as she ate her dinner, then _he_ helped himself to dinner (cooking a portion for Aqua, too, as if that somehow made up for it), then he and Xion went to play with her pony toys, and Aqua finally just gave up. She was too apprehensive to ask Saïx, so she texted Axel instead, asking how he felt about Zack's presence. While she waited for a response, she went to do more homework.

Somehow, the game turned into a mix of pony/walk-tag/I Spy/hide-and-seek instead. As Xion hurriedly shuffled past again, with Zack shuffling in pursuit waving a purple unicorn, Aqua ordered, "Brush teeth and bed in fifteen minutes."

"'Kay," Xion called absently, then waved her yellow pegasus and said, "I see a green apple! Now I have 14 points!"

"Argh, no fair!" Zack called back playfully.

A few minutes later, they had been at the other end of the house for a while, and it had gotten quiet enough for Aqua to get lost in concentration. There was a sudden crash. Aqua looked up in alarm, then cursed both herself and Zack as she heard Xion wail. "XION!" Aqua yelled, rushing toward the sound.

Zack nearly ran into her, hurrying back toward the living room with Xion in his arms. "I'm sorry!" he cried, his face pale. "She tripped on a toy and fell into this shelf that had, like, this rock thing-"

Aqua pulled Xion into her own arms, shushing soothingly as she carried the girl into the hall bathroom. Xion's cries had lowered to dull, resigned sobs as soon as Aqua had taken charge. "My knee huuurts," she said tearfully. "It's bleeding. I hurt myself."

"I know, love," Aqua said soothingly, wadding up a paper towel and pressing it to the cut on Xion's leg. Though it was producing an alarming amount of blood, it was thankfully not a very large cut. "Zack, find some Band-Aids," Aqua snapped.

"Y-Yes, ma'am!"

Aqua cleaned up Xion's leg, then had the girl press a fresh paper towel against the cut, and leaned through the bathroom door. "Zack, where are those Band-Aids?!"

"I don't know!" he cried frantically, looking up from the kitchen drawer he'd been rummaging through. "I checked all the cabinets, but I can't find any..."

Even though she had seen Zack check the bathroom cabinets already, Aqua checked them again, but found nothing useful. There _was_ a Band-Aid box, but it was empty. "Hmm. Stay here for a minute, sweetie, all right? We're gonna find some ointment and Band-Aids for you."

"Okay," Xion sniffled.

Aqua made Zack stay with the child to keep her company, then began her own search. She was hesitant to even enter Saïx's room, but felt more comfortable going through Axel's, since her intentions were honest. The problem was that Saïx's room was the one that had its own bathroom, making it more likely to contain what she sought...

Aqua took a deep breath and was about to try it, but absently pulled open Axel's closet door before leaving, just in case there was anything in there she could check first.

She nearly screamed. The sheer unexpectedness of it made her jump even before realizing what she was seeing. Then she _did_ register the sight, and her entire body went cold in horror. _'Wh-What...what is- _What_?! What _is_ thi-?!'_ "Z-Zack," she tried to call, but his name stuck in her throat, and she could not tear her eyes away from what the closet contained. "Zack...!"

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes: And of course, whatever is in the closet will now be a letdown, since I made a big production out of the cliffhanger; but if _I_ found something like that when _I_ was baby-sitting, I would totally freak out. ^^;;;;;;;;

**I tried to justify Zack barging in as much as possible, but I'm still uncomfortable with it. *sweatdrop* You shouldn't let your friends hang out with you when you're baby-sitting...**

I've already written most of the rest of this story, I just need to finish the final scene of the epilogue. (And I need to type everything.) There's five chapters total, including the epilogue. Sorry in advance that the story will seem kind of rushed, and that the chapters are shorter than I'm used to - this whole fic is shorter than some of my one-shots, but the challenge specifically called for a multi-chapter, so that's how I wrote it. ^^; (It's funny how much longer fics that I intend as one-shots are very difficult to have to break up when they get too long, but this story, which is comparatively short, was easily broken up, since it was _designed_ to be a multi-chapter. XD Sorry for the random observation, I just found that interesting...)

I couldn't imagine Aqua snooping around in a negative sense, so I tried to give her a legitimate reason for why she'd be searching the house.

Could not think of a title again. -.-;

Zack (FF7), Gippal (FF10-2), & Demyx (KH) all have the same voice actor in Japanese (Zack & Gippal have the same in English, too), so I usually think of them as connected in fandom. XD And Gippal's & Baralai's (FF10-2) English voice actors are brothers. :3

I have a 100.2/37.8 degree fever. No wonder I haven't felt well all day. *sweatdrop* Oh, and many apologies to everyone whose messages I _didn't_ answer, since I was too busy drawing/coloring/posting a picture of Riku and his brothers on Friday instead of answering e-mail like I was supposed to. :ohnoes:


	2. Chapter 2

_**An Extraordinary Household**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Mix and Match Challenge by XxCrimsonOblivionxX, written by Raberba girl**

**Chapter 2 (rough draft)**

**A/N: I censored out a single word because it was against my conscience to even spell it out in a public document. If you already know what it is, then you already know what it is; if you don't, God bless you.**

o.o.o

There was a boy in the closet. A teenage stranger with spiky black hair, dressed as if he'd walked off the set of a period film.

He was _tied up_.

And unconscious, which was somewhat convenient, but also a little horrifying in its own way. His ankles were bound tightly with tape, as were his mouth and arms, and his wrists were shackled together behind him, a long chain linking his arms to the clothes rod. Aqua could feel herself trembling as she stared, re-assessing everything she had ever thought she'd known about this strange family. Was this kidnapping? Slavery? Some sort of [. . .] thing? How old was this guy, anyway? Even if he _was_ over 18 and consenting, surely they wouldn't take it so far as to leave him alone like this for _hours_, while an outsider and a _five-year-old_ were in the house...

Aqua stumbled back to the bathroom, feeling sick and nearly crying. Even the most forgiving explanation for this was still horrible. She didn't even want to _think_ about the worst. _'I have to get Xion out of here. I have to- Oh God, Roxas, where is Roxas, what if they're doing something horrible to him even this very moment...?!'_

"Aqua? Were you calling me?"

"Zack," Aqua gasped, clutching his arm.

They both stared at her. "You okay, Aqua?" Xion asked, looking like she'd forgotten about her own misery.

"You don't look so hot," Zack said nervously.

"Z-Zack, I have to sh-show you something... Xion, sweetie, just stay here, all right?" Aqua said desperately. "Stay here, stay right here, we'll be back in a minute..."

"Aqua, what's wrong?!" Xion cried.

Aqua wordlessly kissed her, then seized Zack and dragged him to Axel's room. "_Don't_ yell," she hissed. "Don't scare Xion. Don't say a word, just look."

"Aqua?"

Aqua pressed a hand over his mouth before she let him look. His exclamation of shock was muffled against her palm, then they both just stood there and stared.

"...Help me," Aqua finally said.

Zack swallowed. "Okay...um, g-get, get some scissors."

When Aqua came back, Zack was crouched next to the captive, gently cradling his bound hands and studying the shackles. "I think I can get these off, but I'll need a few things. Try to cut off the tape and stuff, okay?"

Aqua did so, wincing when she had to rip tape off of bare skin, but the boy didn't even stir throughout the entire, painful-looking process. The sudden, sickening thought occurred to her that he might be dead, but when she desperately pressed a hand against his chest, she was finally able to detect a heartbeat. "He's still alive..."

Zack laughed hollowly as he worked at the shackles.

Aqua wadded up all the tape into a sticky ball and shoved it in a corner of the closet. Zack gave a little grunt, and the shackles finally fell away.

There was a tense pause.

The boy's eyes opened with no warning. Aqua was frozen as she and the boy stared at each other - his eyes were a strange, unsettling gold color, so intense that she felt like an animal of prey immobilized in a hunter's gaze.

Then the moment broke. The boy shut his eyes again and groaned softly, finally shifting.

"Easy now," Zack murmured, laying a steadying hand on the boy's back. He had not been in a position to see those strange eyes. "Everything's gonna be all right."

"Where am I?" the boy asked softly, opening his eyes again. Aqua was startled to see that they were now blue. Had she just imagined the gold?

"Uh, this is-" Zack started to say, but Aqua interrupted. She didn't want to say anything potentially traumatic until they knew more about the boy's condition.

"Don't worry, you're safe. It's just us here, the others aren't home. I'm Aqua, and this is Zack."

"Zack," the boy murmured. "Aqua."

Aqua shivered unexpectedly. _'My name, in his voice, sounds...'_ She uneasily remembered Saïx's warning about names, then tried to dismiss it. _'Saïx is a crazy monster who kidnaps teenagers-'_ She lost her breath for a moment. _'Maybe they've been meaning to do something to _me_.'_ She shuddered, imagining Axel or Saïx chaining her in a closet and doing terrible things to her. _'I should probably do the _opposite_ of everything they told me.'_

"Aqua?" Zack said in concern.

The boy was sitting up now. "Thank you for helping me," he said, still in that soft, slightly lost voice. He shivered and reached to rub his arm where the tape had left red marks on his skin. "It was so horrible...I didn't know if that nightmare was ever going to end..."

Aqua wanted to hug him. "It's all right. I'll call the police, and-"

"No!"

Aqua and Zack looked at him in surprise, and he gazed back beseechingly. "P-Please, don't. Don't. That would just make everything so much worse."

"...What's your name?" Aqua asked gently, and her heart ached for him again when he flinched.

"C...Can you...can you please...call me Sora?"

"Of course. Of course, Sora. Don't worry, we'll get you help."

His face slowly seemed to crumple, and he leaned against Aqua and began to weep quietly, clutching at her sleeve like a child seeking comfort from its mother, sobbing in relief, "Thank you...thank you so much..." Aqua and Zack managed to get Sora to his feet, supporting him between them as they slowly made their way to the door.

Xion was standing on the threshold, watching them. "It's okay, sweetie," Aqua said quickly. "Go out to the living room, all right?"

"He's a stranger," Xion murmured.

Aqua thought that Sora's weeping might have paused for a moment, but no, he just needed a gulp of air. "It's all right, Xion. Just go over and sit by the window, okay? Zack and I will take care of it."

They got Sora settled on the couch. Aqua wrapped a blanket around him and Zack brought him a soda and a leftover hamburger from dinner, then a glass of water and an apple when Sora winced away from the first offering.

"It was so horrible," Sora told Aqua miserably. "He...he took me one night, when I was walking home from practice...I don't know how long it's been, it feels like _weeks_...he tied me up...I was so scared...they kept hurting me over and over again...and I...and, I..." He couldn't speak anymore, overcome.

"It's all right," Aqua said helplessly, patting him and crying a little herself. "It's all right, we'll... If you won't let us call the police, at least- What about your family? Is there someone else I can call?"

"M-My...my mother...I haven't seen her in so long, but...I..."

"All right," she said soothingly, taking out her phone, "all right. What's the number?"

"I...I don't...it changed..."

Distressed, Aqua moved away a few steps and tried to call her own parents, but the first number she tried went to voicemail.

Xion had come over to look at Sora. "Xion," Aqua said distractedly, "go back over there, okay?"

"He smells like a long time ago," Xion said softly.

Sora watched as the little girl climbed onto the couch beside him. "Who are you?" he asked with a wan smile.

"My daddies say to never tell anyone even my pretend name unless I have to," Xion said seriously. "And I don't have to tell you."

"Man, Xion," Zack said with a helpless chuckle.

"Xion?" Sora whispered, reaching gently toward her hair, but coming short of actually touching her.

"Your eyes are like Daddy's," Xion said. "I think you're hiding them, like Daddy does when there's people around."

"Xion," Aqua said. It didn't sound like her mother was going to answer the phone, either...

Xion touched Sora's face. "No teardrops," she said critically, probably referring to her father's tattoos, since her fingertips were resting on the exact same places on Sora's own face. Aqua suddenly noticed that, despite all of Sora's earlier sobbing, his eyes were dry. "I bet you're a prince."

Sora grinned, and his arms encircled Xion. He stood up holding her, and the blanket around his shoulders slid to the floor. "Heh. You're pretty clever, for a human brat. Welcome back, princess." His tone of voice had entirely changed - arrogant, mischievous, dangerous. His eyes were burning gold again, looking more alien than ever.

"Xion!" Aqua cried, wrenching the phone away from her ear and suddenly realizing that she might have made a huge mistake.

Zack lunged to grab Xion - and Sora backhanded him across the room. Zack went crashing into a table and then fell to the floor, groaning.

"_Zack_!"

"Zack!" Xion cried in distress.

Aqua, concerned for her friend, had taken an automatic step in his direction, but now swerved and charged at Sora instead.

His grin chilled her blood. "Aqua," he said gleefully, "don't move."

_And Aqua froze._ She stared in horror as Sora leisurely raised his arm and opened what looked like a _black hole_ right in the middle of the living room. Aqua tried to struggle, but she literally could not move, as if her body had chosen to obey this golden-eyed monster's command instead of her own desires.

Xion, completely ignoring the black hole, bared her teeth at Sora and hit him.

He snarled a curse, his eyes actually glowing a little. "Keep your hands to yourself, _Xion_."

"Don't have to," she said defiantly, "cuz that's not my real name, stupid." She hit him again, and he jerked her wrists into his fist to restrain her. "You should be nice to Zack and Aqua," she growled, "and me, too. But you're being bad, so my daddies will punish you when they come home."

"Hmph. You and I won't even be here," Sora retorted as he started to walk into the black portal.

Aqua's heart raged in her chest. Her mind seemed to go blank with horror and panic, and she threw her entire force of will in the direction of the creature that was taking away the child she'd sworn to protect. "_Xion_!" Aqua suddenly ripped free of - something. She wasn't sure what, and she didn't care; all she knew was that she could move again, and without hesitation, she leaped into the portal after them.

_To be continued..._


	3. Chapter 3

_**An Extraordinary Household**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Mix and Match Challenge by XxCrimsonOblivionxX, written by Raberba girl**

**Chapter 3 (rough draft)**

A/N: BSOD stands for "Blue Screen of Death." TVtropes defines it as "an earth-shattering revelation or horrible event affects the hero or someone he cares deeply about, leaving him flummoxed or shocked to the point of mentally shutting down for a while."

o.o.o

"YOU LEFT XION AT THE _HOUSE_?!" Axel screamed.

Saïx glared in annoyed confusion. "Where else _would_ I leave her? With all the protections in place there, only a-"

"VANITAS IS IN THAT HOUSE!"

Saïx had a brief BSOD moment. Then he thundered, eyes literally flashing, "WHY IS VANITAS IN OUR HOUSE."

Even Axel, who'd lived in Faerie for much of his life and had considered Saïx to be his best friend for the past several years, was still mostly human. He couldn't help flinching a bit in the face of the fey prince's terrified fury. "It was the last place they'd expect me to take him!"

"WHY DO YOU THINK-"

"I WAS IN A HURRY! YOUR CRAZY BROTHER JUMPED US OUT OF NOWHERE AND NEARLY KILLED MY SON-"

"YOU GAVE _VANITAS_ ACCESS TO OUR _HOUSE_."

"I _didn't_ give him permission! I _knocked him out_ and _dragged him in_ against his will and shoved him in the first place I could think of before-"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU _TELL ME_."

"I _did_ tell you!"

"You told me to MEET YOU TO HANDLE AN EMERGENCY, without BOTHERING to add that you left VANITAS in the same house where I left XION-"

"THEN WHY ARE WE STANDING AROUND SCREAMING AT EACH OTHER INSTEAD OF GOING HOME?!"

Saïx immediately opened a dark corridor straight into their living room.

It was too late. The entire house was empty, including Axel's closet, where the discarded iron bindings gave clear testament to the prisoner's escape. "Xion!" Axel screamed. Then he just kept screaming, tears streaming down his face, his horror and desperation beginning to manifest as fire flaring along his limbs.

"Axel. _Axel_." Saïx had to fling a cup of water in his face to get his attention, and even then, Axel was too far gone to listen to reason; he simply attacked him. They fought for a minute, effectively demolishing the living room, before Saïx managed to get both Axel and himself under control. "_Axel_. Shut up and listen to me. We have to go after them, it might not be too late. Where's Roxas?"

"I left him with Riku, he's safe," Axel sobbed. "Xion's not. They'll kill her. Saïx, they'll kill her."

"Not if I have any say in the matter," Saïx said, with such icy fury that Axel calmed down a little. _This_ was the sort of situation where Saïx's royalness could come in handy, rather than being a tiresome pain in the butt like it usually was.

"Saïx...she's like my daughter...I know she's just some kid we stole to ruin your dad's plans, but I've raised her since she was a _baby_ - she's just as much my daughter as Roxas is my son; I love them _so much_..."

"We WILL save her, but only if you _stop_ acting like the _useless emotional human_ you are and _do as I say_."

"DON'T DICTATE TO ME! I DON'T HAVE TO TAKE ORDERS ANYMORE!"

"JUST BECUASE YOU'RE NOT _OBLIGATED_ TO DOESN'T MEAN YOU _SHOULDN'T_!"

"If I didn't love her so much then I'd just _let_ them summon Xehanort and let you see how _you'll_ feel dancing to someone else's will like a puppet on strings!"

"You humans think you're so-!"

"You faeries are just so...!"

o.o.o.o.o

Aqua had never experienced anything like it in her life - except in dreams, where she'd desperately run and run, but couldn't move at more than a snail's pace. The farther away Xion got, the more it felt like a nightmare, and Aqua was sobbing even before she completely lost sight of the little girl and the monster who'd kidnapped her. "Xion! Xion...!"

Someone was holding her hand. It was Zack, a little trickle of blood drying on his neck, his own eyes filled with unshed tears. "Aqua...I'm sorry."

"She's gone!" Aqua wailed. "She's gone...!"

"Aqua, where are we?"

So dark, points of light like stars whirling around them, nothing to stand on, no wonder Aqua couldn't run when there was nothing to run _on_... "_Xion_!"

They tried to continue on, but the stars were whirling faster and faster and one galaxy rushed so close to them looking like a pool of fire that they stumbled into it, but though the flames rushed across their bodies and whipped their hair and clothes like a strong wind, they felt no heat. Then they were sinking.

"Aqua!"

"Zack-!"

The darkness swallowed them.

When they opened their eyes, they were curled together on what felt and smelled and sounded like a beach, their hands clasped tightly. Aqua opened her eyes and sat up with a gasp.

"See?" someone laughed nearby. "I told you they weren't dead."

"Strong-willed humans," remarked someone else.

Aqua stared at the two young men, as beside her, Zack sat up and wondered where they were. "Who are you?" Aqua asked.

"Strong-willed," the younger one mused, "but not very well-informed." He smiled. "It's not polite to ask for names, you know."

"Our names aren't important, anyway," said Zack. "Did you happen to see a little girl pass by? Or a creepy guy with gold eyes?"

Both of the young men's smiles faded. The older one said, "You think we ought to get involved in the royals' business, Ven?"

"Not on your life, Terra."

"Royals?" Aqua demanded. She remembered Xion calling Sora a prince. "Does your 'Prince' Sora make a habit of kidnapping innocent children?"

Terra and Ven stared at her. "You know Sora?!"

"Yes," Zack said, fishing for information.

He was startled, and Aqua gripped his hand tighter, when Terra seized the front of Zack's shirt and demanded, "Where is he? Where's Sora?"

"Y-You'll probably find him if you help us find Xion."

Terra and Ven paused. "Why does that name sound familiar?" Terra wondered.

Ven looked serious. "It was my sister's-" He suddenly looked at Aqua. "Do you know anyone named Neku? Or Roxas?"

Aqua stiffened in surprise.

Ven noticed. "He looks like me, right?" he asked eagerly.

"N- I don't know what you're..." Though truthfully, Ven looked _exactly_ like Roxas probably would in about ten years.

"They're lying," Terra said in awe.

"Hey," Ven said gently, "when you see him again, tell him that his Uncle Ven said hi, okay? I miss him. I hope Axel and His Highness have been taking good care of him."

"Axel?" Aqua said sharply. "What do you know about him?"

Terra and Ven glanced at each other. "Do _you_ know Axel?"

"Even if I did, I don't know if I should tell you," Aqua said warily.

Zack sighed. "Look, none of us are really getting anywhere with this. We were chasing a guy because he kidnapped someone really important to us. Will you help, or not?"

Again, Terra and Ven exchanged a look. "First, a question," Ven finally said. "Do you desire Xehanort's coming, or do you oppose him?"

"...We don't even know who Xehanort is."

"Pawns," Terra concluded. "Then let me ask you this: if you _do_ know Axel, would you help him or hinder him?"

This time, it was Aqua and Zack who exchanged a look. Aqua finally said, "I _thought_ I knew Axel. It turns out I didn't know him at all. The only thing I'm sure of now is that Xion needs our help, and Roxas might, too, and I will do all in my power to make sure that those children are safe."

After a moment, Ven grinned. "Well, I guess that's good enough for me."

"Very well," Terra said. "To answer your earlier question, no, we have recently seen neither a little girl nor an Unseelie prince. However, if the situation is what we suspect, we will help you. Now, explain yourselves to us honestly, or we will injure you."

"Wow, you really get to the point," Zack murmured.

Aqua was still hesitant. "He told me not to tell anyone our names... I've already made mistakes..."

"If you just stick with the names they use to introduce themselves with," Ven said, "it should be all right. No faerie would casually give away his true name."

"Faerie?" Zack echoed.

"Elves. Little People. Sidhe. You're in the Land of Faerie, you know."

"_What_?!"

Aqua wasn't sure whether or not this whole thing was a dream, then she decided she didn't care. "It doesn't matter, Z- Er, Xavier."

"Xavier?" Zack said in confusion.

Ven gave a little wave to show that he understood, and Aqua sighed morosely before continuing, wishing she'd been this cautious earlier. "You can call me Mizu. I take care of Xion and Roxas sometimes, when Axel and Mr. Tsukino are both busy. Mr. Tsukino called me tonight, asking me to come over because something urgent had come up. Axel and Roxas were both gone, too, so it was just Xion and I at the house. Z- Xavier came over at one point because..." She swallowed. "I was so mad at you for barging in like that, Xavier, but...then everything happened, and...and I don't know what I would have done without you..."

Seeing that she was having trouble speaking, Zack put a comforting arm around her and continued the story. "Yeah, so I barged in like an idiot, and it was my fault Xion got hurt, too, and then we were trying to fix her up, and...we found this guy. He said his name was Sora, and we thought he was all hurt and traumatized at first, but then he suddenly just grabbed Xion and took off with her - he had these freaky gold eyes, they _changed color_."

"Ohhh," Terra suddenly realized. "He used Sora's name. But it was really Vanitas."

"Oh, Van," Ven murmured sadly.

"Van?"

"Vanitas is one of the Unseelie princes," Terra explained. "He's the reason Prince Sora of the Seelie disappeared."

"What's all this about 'Seelie' and 'Unseelie' - like two opposing teams or something?"

"Courts," Ven clarified. "The Unseelie are ruled by Xemnas, who seeks to release the darkness of Xehanort and consume- _Oh_!"

"What?!" Zack and Aqua exclaimed in alarm.

"Xion! _Xion_! She's the princess, isn't she?!"

"What princess?!" Zack yelped, but Aqua was gasping in realization.

"That guy, Sora, or whatever his name is- He called her a princess. He called Xion a princess before he kidnapped her."

"She's the one, then," Terra said in horrified awe.

"You means she's a _real_ princess?!" Zack cried. "It's not just a nickname her dad and I use?!"

"I changed my mind," said Ven. "I'll gladly return to court if it means saving the princess."

"Saving her...from being kidnapped?" Zack said cautiously.

Ven shook his head. "Worse."

At that moment, a dark corridor opened nearby, and Axel and Saïx came hurrying out of it.

"Axel!"

"Aqua!"

"Zack?"

"Mr. Tsukino!"

"Axel!"

"Ven!"

"Your Highness!"

"Terra."

Confused at the cacophony, they all fell silent and stared at each other for a minute.

"Where's Xion?" Axel demanded.

"Stay away from us!" Aqua screeched.

"Where's Roxas?" Ven asked.

"Where's Vanitas?" Terra wanted to know.

Eventually, they all calmed down enough to be more efficient. "We've been on Earth for five years," Axel explained quickly to Ven and Terra. "Xion loves it. Roxas is doing great, you guys'd love each other, Ven. Sai was going crazy for a while, but he's finally getting used to it. Everything was _fine_, but then _Vanitas_ shows up out of freaking _nowhere_, and..."

Meanwhile, Saïx was filling in Aqua and Zack. "Axel and I, and the children, are what you call 'faeries.' I am fey by birth; Axel and Xion are what you call human changelings, and Roxas is Axel's son by a fellow human captive. Five years ago, by your measure of time, there was a crisis which Axel and I averted, with the help of Roxas's now-deceased mother, her brother Ventus, and Ventus's changeling, Terra. By the end of it, Terra and Ventus were forced to flee the courts, as Axel and I sought refuge on Earth, where we hoped to raise the children in relative safety. We were successful until tonight, when my youngest brother finally tracked us down, and now we _must_ rescue Xion before the calamity we worked so hard to prevent returns to fall upon us."

"Whaaaaat?!"

"Axel," Ven said in the other group, "what in the worlds are you planning? You know that neither you nor Saïx can set foot in the Unseelie court."

"I'll take my chances," Axel said grimly.

"You _have_ no chance," Terra pointed out. "The slave-marks are still plain as day on your face, they'll re-activate as soon as you enter the palace. You've been gone so long, you might even drop down dead."

"You can't help Xion," Ven said softly.

Axel stared at them, his face ashen. "I...then, Saïx-"

"He can't go anywhere near the palace, they'll simply use him as the next Vessel. There was a _reason_ you both escaped so long ago - neither of you can ever return."

"Xion! I _have to save Xion_...!"

"Calm down, Axel. We have an idea."

_To be continued..._

Author's Notes: Lol, the only chapter in this story without a blatant cliffhanger. XD (Not counting the final chapter, of course. ^^; ) This chapter is just slightly too long, but hopefully it'll balance out, because the next chapter is a bit too short. ^^;

I never found a place in the story to clarify this, but Vanitas couldn't take Xion until she'd touched him first, hence why he had to keep up the act for a while.  
The idea of a super-dangerous guy pretending to be a victim in order to fool a young outsider into helping him escape his good-guys-who-seem-like-bad-guys captors was inspired by Vivian Vande Velde.  
Also, Vanitas really is just Vanitas, all he did was steal Sora's name.  
And before you ask, I have no idea who Roxas's mom is, because I hate giving Axel real love interests. XD  
Xion's biological parents are both dead (the epilogue hints why), so she would have been orphaned if Axel hadn't strikestolen/strike adopted her.  
This is actually the second Faerie AU where I've made Axel's facial markings related to slavery, but I haven't finished/posted the first one yet (except as a couple of _Fire & Moonlight_ themes).

To clarify about Roxas, since a lot of people surprised me by wondering about him (XD): Axel dropped him off at a trusted friend's house, most likely someone who's familiar with Faerie and is reasonably capable of keeping Rox safe. I decided on Riku at the last minute, and I'm hoping I won't regret that decision if I ever decide to expand this universe.

The thing is, _An Extraordinary Household_ is only supposed to have this set of main characters: Aqua, Zack, Xion, & Vanitas. I couldn't help AkuSai's screentime because they're my OTP, and I needed Ven & Terra for the plot; but I was trying to avoid giving everyone else too much screentime. That's why I originally didn't want Roxas in the house while Aqua was baby-sitting, and it also simply wouldn't have worked out from a storytelling perspective (it would have been awkward for Vanitas to kidnap more than one kid at a time when he was by himself, and if he _did_ only take Xion, then the presence of a second young child would have caused problems for Aqua & Zack, and made them more indecisive about what to do at a moment when they needed to have fewer distractions).

So, sorry to you guys who will miss Roxas in this fic (he only gets a tiny bit of screentime in the epilogue). ^^; _If_ I ever write more stories in this universe, he'll probably show up more. :)

In case you haven't been following my news updates and whatever, you probably won't be hearing from me for a while (though I do hope to get the next installment of _Dream Waltz_ typed in time for Terrella Day on the 12th) - I'm planning to use October for NaNoWriMo, since the timing is more convenient for me than November is, and I need to focus as much as possible, so I can't answer e-mail or read other people's stories until November. Here's hoping I'll have a 50,000-word story to show for it by the end of the month...! (It'll be a Kingdom Hearts fantasy AU fanfic for Cherished Tenshi's Reversal of Hearts challenge; main pairings are Roxas/Kairi and Sora/Naminé, but there are a lot of other characters, plot threads, etc. going on.)


	4. Chapter 4

_**An Extraordinary Household**_**, a Kingdom Hearts fanwork: Mix and Match Challenge by XxCrimsonOblivionxX, written by Raberba girl**

**Chapter 4 (rough draft)**

A/N: Updating because sometimes I come home from work too tired to do anything but type. *sweatdrop* This chapter is very slightly too short...

Some immortals have a fear of getting "old." XD

Again, the final chapter won't be ready until November at the _earliest_, since I still haven't finished the epilogue. I am very swamped with real life and other projects. :/

o.o.o

"You're a bad man," Xion said as they headed down the dark corridor. "You hurt my friend. He didn't do anything wrong. And you _lied_."

"I _did not_ lie," Vanitas snapped. "It's called 'acting.' Don't you have those 'motion picture' things on Earth?"

"My friend at school can make pictures. I think she drew you one time, but I didn't know it was you." Xion poked at his face, close to one of his golden eyes, and he winced away. "You've been looking for me for a really long time, huh."

"I thought I was gonna get _old_ before I found you..."

"Daddy says that only a prince can find me."

"Yeah," he grumbled under his breath, "otherwise I'd have had the Unversed out looking so I could stay home and play Command Board."

"If you're a prince, are you gonna marry a princess?"

"Pffft, _no_," he snorted. "I'll kill anyone who tries to use me as some pawn in a fake alliance."

"...Dad said the bad fairies will kill me if they find me. Please don't kill me."

He was silent for a moment. Then he mumbled, "I won't."

She smiled. "Good. Then we can be friends."

_'Stupid human brat. Just because I won't be the one holding the knife doesn't mean you won't end up dead.'_ "You can't just 'be friends' like it's so easy."

"Yes, you can! That's how I made friends with N- with my friend at school. And my jump rope friend and my Blitzball friends. It was easy."

"Yeah, well, you're human. Fae don't have friends."

"...Daddy is a faerie, and him and Dad are friends."

"Pffft, _Saïx_? Friends with a _slave_? Don't make me laugh."

"Dad's not a slave anymore!"

"I saw the marks. If he tries to come save you, he'll be punished for rebelling and running away. He'll die."

Xion's face went pale. "Dad won't die, he's strong. He'll save me."

"No one will save you, kid. No one."

"My daddies _will_ save me..."

But she was trembling now.

o.o.o.o.o

The sacrifice had been prepared. The lost princess was back again, ready to play her part. The Vessel was in place, the highest court members gathered. At long last, this was the night of Xehanort's return, when darkness would once again be unleashed and fully rival the light.

Xion, crying hopelessly, lay bound on the altar in the center of the room. There was a black stone above her head, carved with symbols that gave her chills through mere proximity. She was almost completely drowned out by the chanting around her.

Vanitas, standing in his place in the circle, mouthed along with the words but did not actually speak. His eyes were fixed on the tiny princess, ears straining to catch her cries of fear. _'She's so small. And stupid. And way too nice for her own good. She's about to turn into a lifeless husk. She doesn't deserve that. But it doesn't matter; it's her own fault for being so weak.'_ He grit his teeth together. _'And Axel's fault for staying enslaved so he can't rescue her now. And Saïx's fault for getting on Father's bad side so _he_ can't save her, either. No one can save her.'_ A tiny voice seemed to whisper in the back of his mind, _'Except me.'_ Vanitas frowned. _'No way. No way I'm lifting a finger to help that brat. I don't wanna end up like Saïx. Or...'_ He shuddered a little. _'Or like Sora.'_

"Vani," the girl was now wailing pathetically, "Vani, please help me, please...we're friends..."

_'No, we're not. We're _not_.'_

"Bring the cup," his father ordered.

The lowest-ranking lord went to fetch the ornate goblet from its niche, then paced slowly toward the king, bearing it carefully.

_'He looks shorter than usual,'_ Vanitas suddenly noticed. _'I could have sworn-'_

The ring. THE crown-shaped ring, Sora's ring. The hooded cupbearer quickly lowered his hands so that his long sleeve covered it up again, but Vanitas was sure he had seen it. _'What's he doing with that ring?! Ven is supposed to have it-'_

Ven. It wasn't the lord at all, it was _Ven_ underneath that hood.

Vanitas suddenly had to fight back a grin. _'Brazen little sneak.'_ Saïx and Axel, too, for that matter. They must have gotten Ven to do their dirty work for them.

The king drank from the cup, and then the Vessel did. Ven fell back again, now closer to the altar and with no one but Vanitas paying attention to him anymore.

"Bring the knife," the king demanded.

Another lord had been assigned to do it, but Vanitas stepped forward before the guy could even move. "Yes, sir." If anyone was surprised, they hid it well. The king did not object, and the ceremony continued.

Vanitas took hold of the stone knife. He brought it to the king, who darkened the blade's edge with his own blood, then to the Vessel, who did the same with the opposite edge. Then Vanitas turned and paced slowly toward the princess. Xion stared at him with huge, fearful eyes, and Vanitas could practically sense Ven's tension. _'Brace yourselves,'_ Vanitas thought in amusement.

A sudden battle cry split the air, and the entire crowd whirled to face the interruption. It was Terra, shooting off spells and shouting like crazy. The king barked orders; lords drew their weapons and rushed to intercept the intruder.

Of course it was a diversion. Now no one was even looking at the altar except Vanitas. Ven lunged at him, but the prince knocked him aside and then kicked him for good measure.

"Vani, help!" Xion cried.

Vanitas stepped close to the altar and raised the knife.

"No!" Ven screamed.

_To be concluded..._


End file.
